It is a further extension of a long-term partnership between the two groups already working on pomegranates and guavas to take the Indian fruits to the supermarkets and hypermarkets of the LuLu Group in the Middle East. I.N.I. Farms, part of the AgroStar group, has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with LuLu Group International to build a direct farm-to-retail partnership for the Indian Cavendish bananas.

A veteran farmer has warned that a month of devastating weather is set to impact banana quality and supply from far north Queensland. Record rainfall and flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper last month still impact supply chains in Australia's largest banana-growing region. Bananas are farmed commercially in N.S.W., Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. But the far north's Tully, Innisfail, Lakeland and Atherton Tablelands account for 94 per cent of banana growing areas.

The National Banana Corporation has updated the "Model to formulate a recommendation for a minimum exit price per one box of bananas". It has been submitted to the producers, banana traders, and government representatives from the three signatory ministries to Executive Decree to set the minimum exit price of one box of bananas for export.

Banana selling prices in St Petersburg were higher than last week, boosted by good demand and more favourable ambient temperatures, favouring street sales and not hindering the vessel’s discharge operations in the harbour. The main prices ranged from USD 24.55 per box CIF to USD 25.70 per box CIF depending on brand, quality, packing and volume. Nearly 954.000 boxes were discharged in week 4, and around 1.731 million are expected for week 5. The exchange rate was 1 USD=88.59 RUB. Prices in the Mediterranean were USD 17.0-18.0 USD per box CIF for the Ecuadorian bananas, depending on volume, brand, and region. The fruit from Central America sold at around USD 2.0 less. Large quantities of poor-quality Egyptian bananas were sold at lower prices.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's administration plans to hold a referendum on crime, justice and economic issues in the first half of the year. Although Noboa said in a television interview that he hopes it will be held on March 10, that date seems optimistic because the constitutional court, which is currently studying the questions to be put to the public, has yet to rule on the constitutionality of the referendum.

According to data made available by the Regional Directorate of Agriculture (D.R.A.), in 2023, 25.2 thousand tons of bananas produced in Madeira were sold, an increase of 2.5 thousand tons compared to 2022, 10.8% more. It should be noted that this volume of bananas sold is the highest since 1999. In 2023, only the extra class grew compared to the previous year (+15.2%), with classes I (-6.7%) and II (-12.3%) recording drops compared to 2022.

The arrival of Singapore-flagged 3,013-TEU Wan Hai 357 at Dalian port in northeast China marked the launch of a new route to the west coast of South America. The ship was loaded with 3,000 TEU of bananas and white prawns and left the Port of Guayaquil in Ecuador on December 28. The route links the Dalian port with ports in Colombia and Ecuador and other major ports on the west coast of South America.

The year 2024 did not start on the right foot for the banana sector. It is the second half of January, and producers and exporters still need to comply with the registration of the fruit export contract this year as stipulated by the Banana Law. They are far from reaching 100% of the hectares registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (M.A.G.). The head of this Ministry, Danilo Palacios, reveals the current situation and how to face this problem caused by the spot price and the new dynamics of the world market that has marked the sector in the last three years.

Fire, drought, and landslides generate risks in different areas of this South American country. On Wednesday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared a "natural disaster situation" to mobilize resources and address the impacts caused by the El Niño phenomenon, which has triggered fires and drought in this South American country. "We have had over 500 fires, and there are 60 municipalities experiencing water stress.

The Paraguayan Chamber of Bananas and Pineapples (Capabap) stated that how Argentina intends to settle the debt with producers through the bond for the Reconstruction of a Free Argentina (Bopreal) is not viable and that on Monday, January 29, they will have a meeting with local authorities to analyze another means of payment.

President Daniel Noboa has launched a 60-day state of emergency, a nighttime curfew, and a military offensive against criminal groups he has designated as terrorists. Ecuador's President on January 22 said he is seeking financial support from the U.S. and Europe, as well as extending output from an oil block that was voted to be shut down, as he looks to free up funds to fight organized crime.

In addition to the 22 tons of drugs found on a banana farm in Vinces, in Los Ríos, there was also the discovery of an arsenal for military use, thousands of ammunitions. A banana farm was the hideout of the largest drug shipment found in Ecuador. The Armed Forces servants detailed it. At least 22 tons of drugs were seen at the site located in Vinces (Los Ríos province), a seizure considered historic.

Colombia's Minister of Agriculture, Jhenifer Mojica, weighed in on how the government intends to address the problem Colombian banana growers face in the European Union. Recently, banana unions in the country said that a request from European supermarkets to pay a lower price for national bananas would generate widely negative impacts for the sector.

Reefer vessel Ditlev Reefer, operated by Cool Carrier, has been loading around 2,500 pallets of Chilean fruit at the Port of Valparaiso on what would be its second voyage from Chile to the U.S. for the 2023-2024 fruit season for the East Coast market. Once it departs from the T.P.S. Terminal in Valparaiso on January 27, the vessel will call at the Port of Caldera in the Atacama Region to complete the loading bound for Gloucester in New Jersey.

The world’s first large methanol-enabled container vessel has been named "Ane Mærsk" at a ceremony in the shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea. The vessel is named after Ane Mærsk McKinney Uggla, the Chair of the A.P. Moller Foundation and A.P. Moller Holding. Ane’s eldest granddaughter served as godmother and christened the vessel by breaking a champagne bottle over the bow.